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Rules
As with any game, there are rules to Lastman that are suggested to be followed. The Original Rules These rules are the original rules as laid out on the MidMajority blog by Kyle Whelliston. # The object of the game is to avoid, for as long as possible, learning a) the winner and b) the final score of the Super Bowl. This data is called The Knowledge. # Don’t flee the country. Leaving the United States of America means immediate disqualification. # Always play honestly. # If you receive information that might constitute The Knowledge, but you aren’t certain (e.g., if someone might be “messing with you” by telling you a false winner or score), you can opt not to believe the uncertain information and keep playing. However, if it turns out that the uncertain information was correct, the game’s end point is retroactive to when The Knowledge was, in fact, known. # Nobody ever wins. It’s a game you play against yourself, so it always ends in a loss, eventually. The Twitter-era updates After the beginning of increased media attention and Kyle's sun-setting of the MidMajority, some additional rules were instituted in order to make organizing the game easier Since 2013 the game has primarily been played over Twitter, hence the use of hashtags A. Anyone in America, male or female, who either (1) is a fan of American sports, and/or (2) would reasonably expect to hear about the Super Bowl (from family, friends, co-workers, media consumption, or otherwise) if they were not consciously trying to avoid such information, is eligible to participate in #Lastman. B. Contestants who wish to participate in the #Lastman should announce on Twitter, using the hashtag #lastman, that they are participating. Contestants are strongly encouraged to announce their participation before the Super Bowl. However, those who belatedly learn about Last Man may join late, up to 24 hours after the conclusion of the Super Bowl, if they have genuinely avoided learning the winner and/or score of the game (a.k.a. “The Knowledge”) up to that point. After the 24 hour mark, those who try to enter may not be entered in the results spreadsheets. NOTE: If you learned The Knowledge, but then forgot what it is (e.g., you don’t remember because you don’t care about the teams), that doesn’t count. To remain “alive” in Last Man, you must never learn The Knowledge in the first place. C.The Twitter #Lastman game adheres to Rule 5 of Last Man (“Nobody ever wins. It’s a game you play against yourself, so it always ends in a loss, eventually.”). As such, there is no formal title, prize, or “winner” status for the final league contestant to obtain The Knowledge in a given year’s game. However, there is no prohibition on informally acknowledging that person’s accomplishment and “bragging rights” within the league. Also, any contestant who makes it to the kickoff of the next year’s Super Bowl without acquiring The Knowledge from the previous year shall earn a spot in the #Lastman Hall of Fame. In addition, active tracking of participants ends two to three weeks after the Super Bowl. NOTE: Although people have reached the 1 year mark, the #Lastman Hall of Fame does not exist. D. Because Last Man is a game you play against yourself—not against others—contestants should encourage and cheer for each other, rather than rooting against fellow Knowledge Runners in hopes of “winning.” (Remember: nobody ever “wins.”) Contestants who have obtained The Knowledge must never deliberately sabotage other, still-active Knowledge Runners. That said, all contestants should be aware that no platform, medium, or Twitter feed is truly “safe.” Although we strongly discourage non-participating observers from engaging in sabotage, we recognize that there will inevitably be saboteurs. We therefore urge contestants to be vigilant (and we implore saboteurs, if you must engage in sabotage, to at least be sporting and clever about it). Contestants SHOULD NOT check their twitter notifications while playing.